What term refers to a portion of a DNA molecule that serves as the basic unit of heredity?

• A. Chromosome
• B. Proteins
• C. Genes
• D. Mutations

Answer: (C)

Understanding how traits are passed from parents to offspring is being tested here. A gene is the part of DNA that acts as the instruction manual for a specific trait. The gene’s sequence determines what protein or molecule is made, which influences how a trait appears or functions. Because genes are the individual units carrying hereditary information, they are the fundamental unit of heredity. Chromosomes are bigger structures that hold many genes, so they’re not the smallest hereditary unit. Proteins are the products made from gene expression, not the units that carry hereditary information. Mutations are changes to DNA that can alter genes and traits, but they’re not the unit itself.